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Fantasy Anthologies

Mar23

When I started writing, more than one person told me to “follow my muse.” I understand. My heart and mind will often lead me in a particular direction, and stories will come to me out of the blue.

My writing journey began with a dream that led me to write historical fiction. I love history and stepping back in time, so this genre fit. However, at one point, my muse had other ideas!

I spent a little over a year writing a medieval fantasy series called Shrouded Thrones. You can read more about it on my main page. Just click the Shrouded Thrones tab. Initially, I had only planned to write Island in the Forest, which was a rewrite of a children’s fairy tale I wrote when my son was young. I “grew it up” and made it into a novel. That single book led to four more. I found myself fully immersed in the realms I created, and the story simply took off by itself. My muse went wild! This particular series is darker than my historical fiction, but I’m still passionate about it. I found that many readers who love my historical books, weren’t as impassioned, and I decided to go back to my roots. I stuffed that other particular muse in a box, but it often begged me to be released.

I’m happy to say that I’ve recently been given the opportunity to reopen that box! My publisher, Jumpmaster Press, asked for short stories for a Fantasy Anthology that they were putting together, with proceeds going to charity. We were given specific parameters for the story, and I found it incredibly fun to write. That first anthology is called, “Realms of the Fantastic.” My contribution is: Riches of the Stone. You can find the anthology here: https://www.jumpmasterpress.com/product-page/realms-from-the-fantastic

Now, Jumpmaster Press is putting together another Fantasy Anthology called, “Enchanted Realms.” The story I have in this one is: A Noteworthy Enchantment. It tells the tale of a young girl who is under a spell to always sing. The story takes place in the same realm as in the first anthology. I’ve had so much fun writing these stories, and I have a strong feeling that there will be more to come that are set in Shanavar–the realm I created.

“Enchanted Realms” can be pre-ordered on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXZ6K72T Release date is set for July 31st.

If you love fantasy, be sure to order! It’s only .99 cents for the eBook. A definite bargain for such a great collection of stories!

Free Download – Island in the Forest!

Sep12

Today thru Monday, in celebration of the soon-to-be-released book 5 in the Shrouded Thrones series, book 1, Island in the Forest, is being offered as a free Kindle download from Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BJ2P283

Island in the Forest

Olivia has lived her entire life behind the walls of Padrida, a kingdom unknown to the rest of the world. As the king and queen’s only heir, she is destined to rule. Though given all that she needs, she wants only one thing.

Freedom.

Boredom plagues Prince Sebastian of Basilia. The realms have been at peace for more than a century, and he has little to occupy his time. He journeys to Black Wood, seeking adventure. The dense forest has a dark reputation, and Sebastian intends to uncover the truth of the many horrific tales that have troubled him since childhood.

He finds something else entirely.

Medieval Fantasy

Dec13

I never believed a story inspired by my five-year-old son’s request for a bedtime tale would one day become an epic fantasy. What had initially been a children’s fairy tale has grown into a very adult adventure.

When I wrote my Southern Secrets Saga, I introduced the devious, John Martin. I thought he would always rank highest on my list of nasty and cruel characters. However, John Martin is a saint compared to Princess Angeline and Prince Frederick in the Shrouded Thrones series. They are devious, manipulative, selfish, and of course, quite evil. And, I admit, I thoroughly enjoy writing their scenes! Not sure what that says about me…

When you step into the medieval world I created, I hope you’ll be drawn back in time to a much simpler and oftentimes barbaric way of life. It’s easy to romanticize the time period, but things were quite ugly then. Even though my kingdoms are fictitious, I set the stage as if traveling into the world of King Arthur and his knights. (Also fictitious, but based on actual history.)

I’ve had several readers ask if this story will have a happy ending. For many of the characters, yes, it will. However, as with all my books, I put everyone through many tests and trials. I enjoy catching readers off guard with unexpected plot twists. Even so, I rarely ‘kill off’ the most beloved characters.

Book one, “Island in the Forest,” is the original story I told my son thirty years ago, now matured for an adult audience.  It comes to a conclusion, though it will leave you wondering about a few details. At the time of “Island,” the kingdoms had been at peace for more than one hundred years. However, in book two, things take a dramatic turn. The story gets a bit ‘dark.’ When evil people are trying to put themselves into power, it’s to be expected.

I’ve told some people that this story is “Game of Thrones” light, with five kingdoms instead of seven. If you enjoy medieval fantasy, I hope you’ll give my series a try!

Here’s a little bit about book one:

 

Olivia has lived her entire life behind the walls of Padrida, a kingdom unknown to the rest of the world. As the king and queen’s only heir, she is destined to rule. Though given all that she needs, she wants only one thing.

Freedom.

Boredom plagues Prince Sebastian of Basilia. The realms have been at peace for more than a century, and he has little to occupy his time. He journeys to Black Wood, seeking adventure. The dense forest has a dark reputation, and Sebastian intends to uncover the truth of the many horrific tales that have troubled him since childhood.

He finds something else entirely.

Here’s the link! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BJ2P283

Available in e-book and paperback.

Also available are book 2 and 3. Books 4 and 5 will be released in 2019!

Mountain of Masks, Shrouded Thrones, Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DZ253W4

Bane of Black Wood, Shrouded Thrones, Book 3: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L8VSD2L

Thank you for traveling with me on these adventures!

Cover Reveal! Island in the Forest!

Jan24

I promised to reveal the cover for my new medieval fantasy, and here it is! It’s going through the final editing stages, and I hope to see it released next month or early in March.

 

Olivia has lived her entire life behind the walls of Padrida, a kingdom unknown to the rest of the world. As the king and queen’s only heir, she’s destined to rule. She’s given everything she needs, but wants only one thing.

Freedom.

Boredom plagues Prince Sebastian of Basilia. The realms have been at peace for more than a century, and he has little to occupy his time. He journeys to Black Wood—a dense forest with an evil reputation—seeking adventure. What he finds is something else entirely.

Happy New Year!

Jan10

2018 already?

Where did 2017 go?

I noticed that my last blog post was in May of 2017. Ouch! Of course, I added pages to my website when my new books were released, but those don’t run in my blog.

I get so caught up writing my books, that I lose track of time and forget to post a blog. I’ve always enjoyed blogging, so I’ll do my best to post more of them this year. And please, if you have any particular things you’d like me to blog about, send me a message. I’d love to hear from you!

Currently, I’m delving into a new genre. Light Medieval Fantasy. I love the medieval time period, and as you know, I enjoy writing historical fiction. My new series, “Shrouded Thrones,” is set in medieval times, similar to King Arthur’s era. I say ‘similar’ because my story will not have actual history or real historical settings. The story takes place in fictitious kingdoms, and that is why it will be classified as fantasy.

It’s scary branching out into other genres. I hope those of you who enjoy my historical fiction will give this new series a try. “Island in the Forest,” book one of “Shrouded Thrones,” will be released in late February or March.

                               I love castles!

People often ask me what inspires my stories. This particular story’s inspiration is a tale in itself!

When my son was about five years old, I was tucking him into bed, and he asked for a bedtime story. I usually read to him, but that particular night, he wanted me to ‘tell’ him a story. I think I started recanting “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” He’d heard that one before, so he said, “No. A different story.”

I don’t recall what I attempted to tell him next, but it was something else he’d already heard. He made it very clear that he wanted something new. A story I made up just for him.

Way back then, writing books wasn’t part of my daily routine. His request was a tall order, but from somewhere deep in my mind, “Island in the Forest” came to life. Of course, since I was telling it to a child, I told it as a fairy tale. Simple and to the point. He loved it, and I felt like a pretty decent mom!

Night after night, I’d continue the story. Years later, I wrote it in book form, still a fairy tale. I attempted seeking a publisher at that time and got some very nice ‘passes.’ I didn’t understand the book industry back then, so I tucked the book away and forgot about it.

About 15 years ago, I was doing a lot of musical theater. Both acting and directing. I pulled “Island” from my file cabinet and did a major rewrite. I wrote 12 songs, as well as a complete script, and turned it into a musical. I hired someone to score the music, but something happened along the way, and the score was never finished.

My life took some major changes at that point, and I started writing novels. Once I got my first books published, my mind drifted back to that wonderful story that had already gone through many changes. I decided to do one more. “Island in the Forest” is no longer a fairy tale. It’s a grown-up novel. I’ve been able to dig deeper into the feelings and emotions of my characters and have made them real. Though it’s set in a fictitious world, I hope you’ll find them and their complex story completely believable.

Soon, I’ll be revealing the cover, so stay tuned!

And for those of you who are mourning the end of the Smoky Mountain Secrets Saga, I plan to return to the cove later in 2018. (Yeah!)

I have no doubt this year will be exciting, and I can’t wait to see where it will take us!

Thank you for traveling with me on this fun adventure.

Write On!